NGT policies about days until removal for Neonates

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Specializes in Library Director.

I am posting for a Nursing Clinician in my hospital. She is interested in finding out about nasograstic tubes and time until removal (daily, days, weeks? other time frames?) for Neonatal patients. What do you you do? Can you please share your policy or tell us what you do. She would be very grateful

I have done the literature searching (medical/nursing) and guidelines and searching for best practices. But would like to know what you are doing if possible.

Thank-you so much,

Deweydecimal13501

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

In general in my pediatric experience, NGT are good for 30 days and then need to be changed due to tube integrity and also to rotate nare to prevent skin breakdown. However I have only dabbled in neonatal care over the years so it may be different due to their more fragile skin.

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I think that the length of use has a lot to do with manufacturer recommendations. Most are designed to be used for 24 hours or 30 days.

Tubes are removed after the period of time recommended by the manufacturer, or earlier if it is removed by the patient or the patient condition changes and it is no longer needed.

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Specializes in NICU.

30 days, if they are needed that long. In five years, I don't think I have seen them last that long. Usually, within a week they have managed to pull the tube out of their nose (regardless how well we tape it). When they are stuck in an isolette 24/7, they have all the time in the world to find a way to get it out of their nose. Once it is pulled out of the nose, we replace it with a new one.

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28 days but as said above you should also find out what manufacturer says some tubes are marketed for longer term use

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Specializes in NICU.

We change out NGT every 7 days. It is flagged in EPIC and will be a pop-up reminder when it is due to be changed.

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Specializes in NICU.
4 hours ago, Ashley NICU said:

It is flagged in EPIC and will be a pop-up reminder when it is due to be changed.

The pop-up was requested by your facility when tailoring your Epic software. It is not standard in Epic.

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Specializes in NICU.

Yes, our facility chose to have EPIC flag this for us every 7 days per our hospital protocol. ?

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Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
On 5/4/2020 at 5:56 PM, NICU Guy said:

30 days, if they are needed that long. In five years, I don't think I have seen them last that long. Usually, within a week they have managed to pull the tube out of their nose (regardless how well we tape it). When they are stuck in an isolette 24/7, they have all the time in the world to find a way to get it out of their nose. Once it is pulled out of the nose, we replace it with a new one.

"They have all the time in the world" lolol. I never thought of it that way but you're so right!

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Specializes in NICU.

My last facility changed them every three days. My current facility considers them good for 30 days, however, they never last that long. 

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I've been in my current unit for 18 years. The dwell time for tubes was originally 3 days but those were stiffer plastic tubes. When we changed to silastic tubes the dwell time was changed to 3 weeks, then mysteriously changed to 2 weeks. We recently had a comprehensive review and rewrite of tube policy, and now dwell time is 30 days. We do reuse tubes if they are dislodged but not grossly contaminated (dropped on the floor). My experience is that the numbers tend to rub off after about 2-3 weeks so I doubt any tube is doing to last the newly dictated 30 days.  

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